Friend or Family?
by 95sparky95
Summary: Kensi's friend and daughter go missing, and can Kensi find them in time? When the plot suddenly thickens, Kensi and the team are endangered. Who will survive?
1. Chapter 1

Kensi woke suddenly as her phone vibrated harshly on the bedside table. She was instantly alert despite the unseemly hour, and her eyes instinctively scanned the room with hawk like focus before she reached over and picked up the phone.

'This is Kensi' she spoke as she climbed from the bed, pulling a pair of jeans from the pile on the floor and then hunting in her cupboard for a clean top. 'I'm on my way' she replied to the voice on the end of the line and then hung up, slipping the phone into the pocket of her jeans before she pulled them on. Moments later she was out of the door, stopping only the fish her car keys out of the bread bin. How they had ended up in there, she wasn't sure. As she slipped into her car her phone buzzed once more and she laughed aloud as she read the message from Deeks, asking to car pool. He always did this, and she knew she could wheedle a few promises from him as compensation.

She did not think much as she drove. She was not unused to these late night cases, although they were slightly unusual. She almost preferred them, as their urgency tended to make for a more exciting and satisfying case. Deeks was waiting for her on the pavement, dressed as usual in his baggy jeans and a sweater, with his hair sporting the 'styled by pillow' look. She barely stopped the car as he pulled himself into the passenger seat. 'Morning Kens' he smiled at her. She ignored his chirpiness and kept her eyes on the road. 'Any chance of a breakfast burrito to get this morning started?'

'Any chance of a quiet drive to work to get the morning started? She replied, grinning. 'Eric sounded pretty stressed on the phone, I don't think it would be fair to enjoy breakfast whilst he is alone with Hetty.' Deeks raised his eyebrows at this last comment, but before he could respond in sort Kensi said 'Don't even go there.'

'Go where' he replied cheekily, 'I wasn't thinking anything, what were you thinking? Wait, were you thinking that Eric and Hetty... ew, no !' Kensi gave Deeks a warning glare which Deeks followed up with a wounded puppy whine but stopped his talking.

Several minutes later they pulled up at the mission. They were the first of the team to arrive, but seconds later Callen appeared. 'Is Sam not here then?'

'It's not like you can miss him is it?' Deeks remarked. At just that moment Sam's sleek black car rounded the corner and slipped into his spot. Sam quickly joined them around the entrance.

'What are we all waiting for?'

'You actually.' said G, as he pulled open the ornate doors to the Mission. The team stepped in together, and found their office to already be a hive of activity, with Hetty at the centre, the Queen Bee responsible for the place's smooth running.

'Ah, there you are, I am glad you made good time.' Hetty immediately beckoned them over and led them upstairs. 'We have a matter of utmost security, according to Langley. I don't think it is quite all they claim it to be, but who are we to question the great FBI?' Her voice was tinged with sarcasm and the team grinned at each other, used to Hetty's ways. Eric chose this moment to swivel round in his chair and begin to explain.

'So, at about 11 o'clock last night the police received several calls about gunfire from a house in Venice. It turned out the house belonged to an FBI operations officer. He was found dead at the scene, but this is the bit where we come in; he was married to a Naval development specialist. Her name is Nancy Reiner, and she has not been seen since the shooting. We have to assume that she has been kidnapped.' The team exchanged looks with each other. Nobody noticed Kensi blanche.

'How bad is this exactly? What was she working on that makes her so important?' asked G.

'Nancy Reiner worked on the N22 Submarine.' Eric grimaced.

At this point Deeks butted in. 'Isn't that nuclear?'

'And armed, seriously armed. It's also capable of remote control, meaning a hijacking is the most likely plan for the kidnappers.'

Kensi hadn't really been listening; she already knew about the Sub, but now she raised her voice. 'Do we have any leads yet?' her voice shook as she spoke and Deeks looked at her confused, but she ignored him.

'We managed to pull CCTV from the neighbour's house, and whilst we don't actually see her being taken, there is a car that enters the house and leaves about 10 minutes later. I am currently searching for said car.' As Eric spoke he pulled up the footage to show the inconspicuous silver SUV. He also pulled up a picture of Nancy, and Kensi swore. This time everyone looked at her.

'I know her.' She whispered. 'They have a child, Molly. She's around 7.'

'Our records show that Molly lives with her grandparents. She will be in Iowa.'

'She doesn't.' Kensi insisted, 'It's complicated. They moved her there for safety because of Dan's job, but it only says so on paper. In reality she is still with them. I bet they never thought it would be Nancy's work that caused all this.' Nobody spoke for a moment, and then Kensi said 'Deeks and I will take the house. Eric, please call when you find the car.'


	2. Chapter 2

Kensi and Deeks reached Venice 20 minutes later. They had driven in silence; Deeks had not wanted to pry into what clearly was important to Kensi. They reached the house and ducked under the police line, flashing the badges upon the questioning looks from the cops.

Kensi began to push open the door but then stopped and swallowed. Deeks looked at her closely. 'Why don't I go in first?' she nodded. Deeks was worried, his partner, with her usual steel shell was looking to so afraid.

'I know them well Deeks. I'm the reason these two were even together. They're the only ones who know about me, about what I do. I grew up with Nancy; she lived on the base with me.' She felt better telling him why she was so worried, and Deeks was also relieved to now understand. 'Molly is a really sweet girl Deeks. We need to find her.'

'Don't worry Kens, we always do.' Deeks walked into the house. It was small but cosy, until you turned into the kitchen and saw Dan's punctured body. He had died instantly is seemed, from a headshot. He made to grab Kensi's arm before she saw so he could warn her, but was too late. She let a shallow gasp slip from her before replacing her hard shield. She walked past and straight up the stairs. Deeks followed her into a child's bedroom. However, there was very little to indicate a child slept there, and the only reason he knew was from the small pair of jeans discarded on the floor. 'They made it look like she didn't live here. She has toys and stuff, but they get put away immediately. It's sad really.' Kensi smiled softly, remembering the child, before scouring the room for clues. 'there's nothing here, let's check out the main room.'

This time Deeks led, and there was a clear difference. The room had been ransacked, and everything thrown onto the floor. There was a clear spot on the desk where a laptop had clearly once rested. Kensi reported this all to the rest of the team in a monotone. Sam noticed her strange voice over the radio. 'You alright Kensi?' he inquired.

'Yea, fine Sam.' she said softly. She wasn't fine. She was distraught and confused. 'Guys, I think I need to talk to you all.' She spoke over the radio, so everyone back at the mission could hear too. Deeks looked at her, clearly confused, but Hetty's voice filled their ears before she could respond.

'I think that would be a good idea Miss Blye.'

'Nancy doesn't really know anything about the Sub, and I think the kidnappers would know that. She designed the storage facilities for the nuclear devices, but she doesn't know about the science behind anything else. I just don't understand why they would take her. I think it must be about something else. The submarine may just be a coincidence. Maybe it's something Dan was working on?'

'Kensi,' G's voice sounded; 'Sam and I are coming to you two. There's no point us waiting here for nothing. We will be there in 10 minutes.' The radio terminated.

Deeks watched Kensi carefully. 'Do you have any idea what Dan could have been working on?'

'I don't know Deeks, I really don't. He wasn't important in the FBI, he just floated between cases. I worried I might have something to do with it Deeks. I know it's irrational, I'm careful and so are they, but what if it was me?' She looked so guilty for a moment that Deeks could barely stop himself hugging her, but he was sure she would give him a lesson if he did!

Both looked around as two familiar faces entered the house. Sam and G had arrived sooner than expected and wasted no time in their detailed search. As the four of them scoured the house, Eric began to talk. 'guys, I've found a match on the car.' Instantly Kensi stopped what she was doing and grabbed Deeks.

'We'll go look.'


	3. Chapter 3

**It has been a little while since I have had my laptop so sorry for the slight delay. I have also had this chapter sitting around for a while but have not been happy with it. I am still not fully pleased with it, but have decided to just throw it to the wolves (so to speak!).**

The car was at an out of town storage complex in a garage, however, when the duo arrived it was deserted, just the car sitting there. 'Eric' Kensi asked, 'Do you think we can get some CCTV and see if anyone is around somewhere?' Deeks then headed to the car whilst Kensi opened the door to an office.

Deeks was looking in the boot when he lifted to carpet to find another set of plates. 'Hey Eric, I think I have the real car plates here. Can you run them?' he read out the numbers and seconds later Eric had a match.

'It belongs to Adrian Carlisle. Guys, this is bad news. He's high on the FBI wanted list for numerous kidnappings of high profile militia personnel. This is odd. A lot of them are NCIS from other branches, but we have never caught him... there are a lot of open cases within NCIS about him. However, he has never targeted Navy before. I don't trust this guys. He clearly follows a pattern in his victims. Nancy doesn't fit.'

'Could it be a copycat?' asked Deeks.

'I don't think so. I don't see how his car could be here otherwise.'

'That's another anomaly. Why is his car here? It's clearly pointing to him, why not just get rid of it?'

'DEEKS!' Kensi suddenly called out. 'WE HAVE A PROBLEM!' she was standing by the petrol pumps which previously had been covered by a tarpaulin. Now she had pulled off the cover to reveal a very real bomb. 'He was planning to get rid of the car after all, we just came too soon.' The blood drained from Deeks.

'Or we came at exactly the right time.' Eric chose this moment to interrupt. 'There is someone watching.' Kensi and Deeks looked at each other for a split second before breaking into a sprint, trying to get as far from the explosive as possible. Seconds passed like minutes, as together the two tried to get away, Deeks a fraction ahead of Kensi, but constantly looking back to ensure she was hot on his heels. A mere 15 seconds passed when the bomb went off.

Instantly Kensi's world flipped. The force was like being slammed in the back and she had no hope of maintaining her balance. Something hit her, somewhere, but she was so disorientated she could not tell her legs from her arms. Something hurt, and it was excruciating, but she did not know why it hurt. All she could think was how bright it all was, how bright and how silent. Mere seconds passed until it was over, and when it was, she lay on the stained concrete, unmoving.

Deeks thought of nothing but Kensi. He had been looking back when it happened, seen the fireball and felt the shocking heat that forced him to the ground. Something hit him in the back and he shouted out, but it quickly passed and he covered his head in his hands as he lay face down where he had fallen, momentarily dazed. Seconds passed that seemed like minutes where all he could think of was to look for Kensi, but he still did not move. Then, a switch seemed to flip in his brain and he leapt to his feet 'KENSI!' he yelled desperately, turning around. She was lying motionless on her side a meter from him, and he stumbled to her as his radio crackled to life, filled with G's worried voice.

'Deeks? Are you alright? What about Kensi? What happened? we are on our way, we will be there in ten. Deeks? Talk to me Deeks, what's going on?' he sounded panicked and rushed; they had clearly just run to the car.

Deeks took a moment to reply as he knelt beside Kensi. 'The bomb went off. I'm ok though. Kensi... I'm not sure, I'm just checking her now.' She still had not moved. He called her name, softly and then louder, but she did not respond. He delicately ran his hands down her back and then rolled her over. Blood was running down one side of her face from a deep cut above her hairline, and blood was also staining her left shoulder, quickly saturating the surrounding cloth. 'Kensi? Wake up for me please. Don't make me beg.' He muttered. As he spoke, her fingers twitched, and he jumped. 'Kensi, come on. Wake up!' Her hand slid up to her head and she let out a small moan.

'Deeks?' she whispered.

'It's ok Kensi, I'm ok. Move slowly aright, where are you hurting?' he gabled. She slowly opened her eyes and he stared into them, relief etched into every pore.

'I'm ok Deeks, just give me a second' she mumbled, and tried to sit up, but her arm with the injured shoulder wouldn't support her. 'Give me a hand would you?' she reluctantly asked. Deeks obliged, and she leant against him. He pressed his hand against her shoulder, ignoring her wince, as he began to stem the flow. Her head wound was already stopping he noted with some relief.

'Have you got a headache or anything Kens?' he asked, concern emanating from him.

'Not really. I'm honestly alright, it's just my arm.' She spoke truthfully. Apart from a slight stinging on her head, she had no real headache and did not feel dizzy.

By the time the other half of the team had arrived she was walking around, and both men were visibly relieved to see their colleague in a relatively good state. The ambulance had also arrived, but since Kensi had refused the trip to hospital, there was little they could do. They had bandaged her up and Deeks had forced a promise out of her to see a doctor once the mission was over.

Eric, meanwhile, had been scavenging security tapes of the surrounding area, searching for the car's arrival time to the garage. He was rewarded with clear footage of the black Peugeot.

'Right, guys; the Peugeot enters the lot with another car... an old 4x4, which then leaves on its own a few minutes later. The camera resolution isn't great, so I can't get a fix on their faces, but I have a search currently running for the car.'

'Thanks Eric. Ok you lot, let's head back to the mission. There's no point hanging around here, we can let LAPD take over.' Callen took control of his team, half expecting one of them (Kensi) to kick up a fuss. Kensi was silent however. Her face was still pale, but it revealed no emotion. No one saw the waves of guilt that were tormenting her. She returned to the mission without a fuss.

Once they were back at their base, Eric was reluctant to show them his developed theory on why the kidnapping had occurred. He glanced at Kensi several times before he began to talk, but Callen's glare finally forced him. 'I have been looking at CCTV outside the victims' house, and that Pergot was a frequent visitor; four times in the past month. However...' Eric slowed and Kensi cleared her throat.

'Eric, just say what you have to.' She already knew what Eric was about to say.

'... Sorry Kens. However, on those four occasions, Kensi was also there. The car was only seen when Kensi was. We know that Carlisle has a history of NCIS abductions. I think Kensi is the target.'

**Hope everyone likes it so far. I am aware there are inaccuracies however I doing my best to avoid them, so sorry for any mistakes! **

**Please keep reviewing X**


	4. Chapter 4

**I am really enjoying writing this, so I hope you lot enjoy reading it! This is just a short chapter, but it is mainly DENSI **

In a way, Eric's revelation was no real shock, but Deeks still felt a flood of fear for his partner. He looked at her closely, but her face gave nothing away. Her face was a mask of calm, pale and beautiful. She could not however hide the slight tremble of her fingers that betrayed her inner turmoil. She was the first one the break the silence. 'That doesn't change the fact that we still need to find Nancy and Molly. In fact, it makes it more important than ever seeing as it's my fault.' No one made the effort to correct her.

Callen spoke next. 'We will find them, don't worry. We just need to find them without losing anyone else. Eric, do we have anything else to go except the car? Does Mr Carlisle have any property that we can check out?'

Eric gave a smile. 'Well, he doesn't have any property in his own name, however, one of his aliases was unearthed in a previous investigation, and it looks like Jack Galbreath has several properties in the Los Angeles area... in fact, he is quite the business man in the import and export market.'

'Send the details to our phones Eric. Sam and I will start a sweep of the properties, and Deeks can check out the work place.'

'No way.' Kensi spoke firmly. 'I'm not staying here. You guys are just as likely to be targeted as me.' This was not strictly true, but she was determined to help. Deeks had other ideas however.

'It's an unnecessary risk Kens. I can manage alone.'

'Listen Deeks, I will do everything you say, I'll even wait in the car. I'm just not sitting here.'

Deeks grinned. 'You'll do everything?' he said cheekily.

Callen interrupted before Kensi could respond. 'Listen Kensi, I am going to trust you. Do not do anything stupid or I'm the one that will have to deal with Hetty.'

'Very true Mr Callen.' Hetty, as usual, had appeared silently. 'Take care Miss Blye.'

The team wasted no time in leaving the mission. Deeks drove quickly, his hands clenched on the wheel. He was silent, and Kensi looked over at him confused. 'What's up Deeks, you're being weird.' He was silent for a few more seconds, trying to keep his cool. When he spoke he was icy.

'How's your shoulder?' she looked surprised at his cold facade.

'It's fine. Deeks? Why are you pissed at me? You would've done the same thing.'

He knew she spoke the truth, but at this moment it did not matter. 'It was stupid Kensi! You just couldn't do what was sensible. You know this is a mistake, you should be at the mission, and now I have to be watching you, spending every minute terrified that you are going to be taken from me. I can't let that happen Kens.' He took a breath and glanced at Kensi. She was silent, simply staring straight ahead. He wished he could know what she was thinking.

'Your life means so much to me Kensi. I wish it meant the same to you.' He finished softly. 'I'm sorry Kensi, it's just... you're the person I care most about in this world.'

'I care Deeks.' Kensi spoke now, her voice unreadable. 'My life matters to me, but so do the lives of my friend and her daughter. I don't...' she faltered, unsure how to continue. '...I would feel the same if it was you, if that helps.' She placed her hand onto Deek's. 'We should talk properly. Like really talk. This... whatever _this_ is, let's work it out ok?'

She looked at Deeks waiting for an answer. The car was unmoving, waiting at a red light, but Deeks never spoke. Instead he turned to face her, and gently pressed his lips to hers. That was answer enough.

**Hope you all enjoyed it. I will post the next chapter soon and I promise there will be more action as well as chit chat...**

**Please review X**


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm throwing around a few ideas here, and I'm not entirely sure how it's going to turn out, but please tell me what you think... ideas are welcome!**

The rest of the drive had been in silence, but Deeks had been unable to hide a small grin every time he glanced at his partner. She had simply raised her eyebrow at him, but inside was turning summersaults.

They pulled up on the docks, immediately surrounded by the ocean sounds and smells. They were quickly approached by two burley men; 'These docks are private property.'

Kensi gave them a flirty grin. 'Oh, I'm sorry. Mr Galbreath told me to meet him here, but perhaps I got the day wrong? I'm here with his lawyer.' She indicated Deeks as she spoke. Deeks said nothing but retained an air of importance, impressive since he was still in his cargo pants.

The guards were clearly flustered, however they were firm in their decision. 'I'm sorry ma'am, but without Mr Galbreath's instruction I cannot let you in. Please wait outside the dock until he arrives. He's due any minute now.'

Kensi gave him a cheerful wave as they drove away to wait for their suspect but the moment they were out of sight, all emotion fell from her face. Deeks could sense her inner turmoil and he wished he could take it from her.

Deeks took her hand. 'Listen Kensi, we've got this. You know what the plan is, and our plans work.'

'I know.' Kensi spoke firmly. 'I'm not worried. I trust the team.'

Sam's voice came over the radio; 'We are all ready at this end Kensi. We've just pulled up across from you.' As he spoke a car approached the dock, and all four members of the team tensed, waiting for action.

Deeks fell in behind Carlisle. They had decided to be bold rather than subtle, since the security men would be likely to alert Carlisle of their presence. Both cars stopped at the same time, but Carlisle did not leave the car. Instead, a shaking woman stepped from the driver's seat.

'NANCY!' Kensi called loudly. Something was wrong, and she watched with something akin to dread as her friend opened the back door and pulled a small child out. She and Deeks began to walk towards her. Nancy's eyes were still firmly on the car, but she was walking away from it as fast as she could whilst looking calm. She was whispering frantically to her daughter.

Deeks and Kensi were in the open between the two cars when the shooting started. Instantly the two threw themselves to the ground, shattered glass from the car windows ricocheting around them. Kensi pulled her gun out and returned fire, barely registering Deeks doing the same beside her. Sam and Callen, waiting outside the docks, had crashed through the gates and were speeding along the tarmac, ready to open fire as soon as they had a clear target.

Deeks, hearing the empty click of his gun, grabbed Kensi by the shoulder and pulled her back, the two of them carefully pulling back. They were metres from the relative safety of the car when a small canister flew from the car. The duo dived to the ground, waiting for the blast, but the smoke that instead gushed from the grenade threw them for a moment. That was all it took for the other car to open fire once more.

Seconds later and Deeks was doing the same, trying to use the smoke to his own benefit when he realised Kensi had stopped firing. She was in fact staggering, her face distorting in shock, the first real emotion of the whole day. Blood seeped from her shoulder, her fingers that should have been pulling the trigger were hanging uselessly at her side.

'KENSI!'' Deeks bellowed, and she looked at him, her eyes burning into his. The pain was evident, but so was the determination. She nodded at him, trying to assure him that is was nothing to serious, at the same time trying to move closer to the car.

Deeks took a step towards her, but the ground lurched beneath him and he was thrown down. His head was spinning and as he looked up he saw Kensi's pale face slump beside him. He tried to shake the black smears from his eyes, but it simply made them grow, and only at the last moment did his slurred mind connect the dots.

It had been a gas canister.

His world turned black, his last blurred image; Kensi's motionless body, blood still seeping onto the ground.

**Please review **

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